Luxury Living in Downtown Le Mars

Built in 1907 by R.W. Harrison, a British sea captain, the White House Bathing Palace was considered by many to be the best bath house west of Chicago. It contained a 30,000-gallon swimming pool located in the basement of the building ranging in depth from 3ft to 5ft. There were 20 dressing rooms that surrounded the swimming pool. On the top floor, there was a dry-heat room, a damp-heat room, bathrooms (both public and private), and a Turkish bathroom that contained Italian marble. The house was finished with birch trim, white enamel, pine floors, and a tin ceiling. The building currently has a main floor, but that floor was not originally laid. One could lay in the swimming pool located in the basement and look up to the tin ceiling on the second floor. Sadly, the need for bath houses was starting to dwindle at the turn of the 20th century as indoor plumbing was becoming a modern convenience in hotels and homes. The White House Bathing Palace closed it doors on January 23, 1909.
In 1915, the building was converted the Le Mars Hospital and later Sacred Heart Hospital. It was during this time that the main floor was installed. In 1925, the building was converted to Fern Beauty Parlor and by the 1940s, it was converted into Central Apartments.
During the renovation, many historical “time capsules” were discovered which illustrated the many transitions the building has had. Pages of the Ladies’ Home Journal from 1907 was discovered. The magazine pages featured women’s fashion at the turn of the 20th Century. In the ground in the backyard, several glass bottles that could have been used for medicines were unearthed.
Today, 116 years after the White House Bathing Palace was originally built, stands The Harrison, a luxury 4-unit apartment building using original materials from this magnificent, historical building. The building is completely renovated and restored to stand proud for another 100 years.